QURGHON TEPPA, March 28, 2012, Asia-Plus — The Khatlon regional court has rejected an appeal for full acquittal lodged by Russian pilot Vladimir Sadovnichiy and his Estonian colleague Aleksei Rudenko, who were working for Rolkan Investment Ltd.
The pilot’s defense lawyer Ghulom Boboyev says he received reply to a supervisory complaint lodged on February 21 only on March 20.
“The Khatlon regional court has upheld the Qurghon Teppa court’s verdict against the pilots,” said the lawyer. “The Khalton regional court noted that the supervisory complaint is unfounded.”
Boboyev does not agree with this wording and intends to make an appointment to see the chairman of the Khatlon regional.
We will recall that the Khatlon regional court on November 22 overturned a November 8 verdict by the Qurghon Teppa city court that sentenced Captain Vladimir Sadovnichiy (national of Russia) and Captain Aleksey Rudenko (national of Estonia), who are working for Rolkan Investment Ltd, to 8½ years in prison for flying illegally into Tajikistan smuggling aircraft parts. Technically, the Khatlon regional court reduced the pilots” sentences to 2 ½ years each. With the subtraction of two years under the amnesty, and six months for time served, the immediate release of the pilots was secured.
Experts note that the verdict against the pilots has been changed under the pressure from the Russian authorities.
Sadovnichiy and Rudenko were arrested in March of 2011, after they stopped their two AN-72 cargo aircraft for unauthorized refueling near the southern Tajik city of Qurghon-Teppa en route from Afghanistan to Russia.
Tajik authorities said the two pilots ignored warnings from Tajikistan”s air-traffic controllers and entered Tajik airspace illegally. The planes were confiscated.
Tajik Prosecutor-General Sherkhon Salimzoda told reporters in Dushanbe on November 10, 2011 that Sadovnichiy asked Tajik air traffic controllers seven times for permission to enter Tajikistan”s airspace and was refused every time. He said Sadovnichiy then asked for permission for an emergency landing, even at the risk the planes would be impounded.
Salimzoda noted that before the two planes took off, Afghan government officials informed Tajikistan that they had false registration numbers and were not registered in any country. They also did not have log books or air safety certificates.
Tajik chief prosecutor said the investigation established that the two aircraft were removed in 2008 from the list of aircraft registered in Georgia and since then have been based in Afghanistan. He said that according to Afghan aviation authorities, the planes have not been inspected for the past three years and are no longer licensed to fly.
